Improved railroad-switch



UNITED STATEs PATENT'OFFICEc H. MAXELL, E. FESSLER, AND H. FESSLER, OFCANTON, OHIO.

IMPROVED RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57.744. dated September4, 1866.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, H. MAXELL, EMANUEL FEssLER, and HENRY FEssLER, ofCanton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches 5 and we do liga-icydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings Land to theletters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings hereto annexed and for1ning a part of thisspecification, A represents the switch-box. This box is made of wood,and is set at the side of the railroad-track and at right anglesthereto.

B represents the door of the switch-box, which is provided with suitablehinges and fastenings and opens from the track. On the inner side of theswitch-box, and near the top of the same, is formed an oblong box, N,which box has an opening near the door of tl, i switch, as there is alsoa similar opening or window in the back of the switch-box. Door B isprovided with an opening or window of the same size, and when said dooris closed the opening C is directly opposite the one in box N andswitch-box A. The object of these windows will be hereinafter set forth.

O is a bar, which is secured to the sides of the switch-box and placed ashort distance beneath the bottom of vbox N and at about center-waybetween the door B and back of switch-box A. DirectlyT behind this bar,and secured to the switch-box, is a block, S, Fig. 2.

t is a shaft, which is secured to the center of bar O upon its upperside and to the block S. Upon this shaft, and between bar O and block S,is a small ratchet-wheel, R, while upon the outer end of said shaft, andbetween the door B and bar O, is a small metallic wheel, H, with threeor more square notches in the same.

K is a crank attached to the wheels H and R and shaft t, for the purposeof revolving` the same.

J represents a metallic lever, which is secured to the rear portion ofthe bar O, and is provided with a small catch to catch in and secure thewheel H. (See Fig. l.) This lever is held in the notch of the wheel H bya spring, d, which is secured to the under portion of box N, and restingupon the lever J, heretofore described.

E is a semicircular cog-wheel, which is secured to the block S2,attached to the back of switch-box A, (see Fig. 2,) and a longitudinalmetallic bar, p. The cogs of this wheel mesh into the cogs of the smallcog-wheel R. The under portion of this wheel E forms a lnetallic plate,which projects from directly under the shaft m, which supports the saidwheel, to near the bottom of the switch. Connected with this plate e isa rod, F, which extends from the plate through an opening or slot at thebottom of the switch-box, and is attached to the rails that requireswitching.

P represents a metallic arm secured to the upper side of the plate c,and pivoted at m to the signal-shaft M. This shaft M is also pivoted toa block', S', as seen in Fig. l at x', and extends above the entireswitch box there being slots in the boxNand top of switchbox A to allowit to pass and to be worked back and forth in the same. At the upperextremity of this shaft there is an eccentric` shaped piece of metal, toshow Whether the switch is open or closed.

Within the oblong box N, and attached to the shaft M by a small bar, a,is the sliding signal, as seen in dotted lines at T. This signal, eitherby a lamp and reiiector or a colored piece of wood or metal, and bymeans of the windows G and D, will show whether the switch is opened orclosed.

It will be seen that by turning the crank K (when the lever J is thrownup) from the track, the cog-wheel R turns semicircular cogwheel E,.withrod F, and draws said rod and the track toward the switch-box, and drawsthe signal T within the box N, and leaves the windows open. Whileturning the crank toward the track the signal T is slid from the track,covering the windows O and D, and throwing the rod F, with track, fromthe switch-box, and throwing the eccentric on extremity of the shaftdirectly over the signal- Windows.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe switchbox A, with inner boX, N, and Windows C D, with signal T,arranged in the manner substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The selnieireular Whee1E,W11ee1R, Wheel H, crank K, lever J, andspring b, arranged l Within the switch-box A, es and for the purposesherein specified.

3. The shaft M, attached to the Wheel E by means of the arm I? andmetallic plate e, Working the rod F, when arranged and used as and forthe purposes set forth.

As evidence that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto set; our handsin the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY MAXELL. L. s.| EMANUEL FESSLER. [L. s.] HENRY FESSLER. LL. si

Witnesses:

J oHN K. GRUBE, J. GREVoIsIE, Jr.

